[On-tap] Pours dark brown with a small dark brown head. Aroma is chocolate (esp. in the finish), baked apple, molasses, banana, and raisin. Decent amount of alcohol in the taste, anise, good amount of malt to balance out the moderate level of bitterness, and light coffee. Reminiscient of Expedition with the hops subdued. Thick mouthfeel, and has a long finish. Overall, a solid imperial stout, although the aroma was just a little lacking in comparison to the taste.

100th imperial stout rating, on tap at the brewpub. Very jet black color with a light milk chocolate head.Sweet dark fruits are prevelant throughout with just a hint of alcohol. Very smooth, lots of chocolate with a slight bitterness and nice hop presence, very good.

Dark Brown body with brown head clinging around the edges and an island of wispy brown bubbles floating in the center. Faint dark fruits and roasted malts on the nose. Maybe some light cherry as well. Hint of roasted malts as well. The flavor begins with dry roasted malts and quickly adds dark fruits and sweet portish alcohol. Dark chocolate on the finish with some dry hop character to it. Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth and while the alcohol is certainly detectible, it doesn’t take much of a tole on my tastebuds.

Thick and black, a full pint pour courtesy of an ignorant barmaid. Oily. Aroma leans uneasily toward cloying. A grilled pineapple skewer and graham cracker crust come first, to be overwhelmed by a maple syrup and chocolate latte hybrid. Tastes of hazelnut, Ethiopian light roast and flourless chocolate cake. Cranberries and maybe black currants lend a quieted tartness, leading to a thick dissemination of smoke with warmth. Prickly bourbon sweetness robs these elements of their subtlety to some degree. Palate is somewhat sharp as a result. Tends to be a bit brutish, but it has its shining moments.

Pours as dark a brown as you can get without being black, topped by an eighth of an inch or so of tan colored foam. The head doesn’t stick around for long, reducing to just a ring. Delicious aroma of Kahlua, bittersweet chocolate, and French roast coffee.
Silky smooth mouthfeel, with gentle carbonation. Fullish body. Sweet chocolate, molasses, roasted grain, and coffee flavors. A touch of smoky tobacco in the finish.

On tap at Winterfest 07. Nose is sweet with coffee, chocolate, vanilla, licorice, and . Mouthfeel is thick, but very easy to drink as well, a good combination. Complex flavors and very well done. This is Czar Jacks younger cousin as it awaits the barrel aging process. I’d like to sample Czar Jack when it becomes available. For me, this and Barley John’s Rosie’s Ale were the highlights of the night.

Growler. As a side note $12 for a growler of Imperial Stout is a steal. Deep dark black. Softly hoppy aroma, cocoa and coffee. Lusciously soft in the mouth. There are some nice roasty notes lurking inside a deep chocolate/coffee bed. This is quite a delight on the tongue. Truly vinious, without bludgeoning alcohol or hops. This beer’s subtle charms come out and out.

Looks like an imperial stout ought to; black, low carbonation, and a light, airy khaki colored head. It has an initial aroma of Sammy Smith’s imperial. The first flavor is soy sauce, but not as much as their czar jack. There is also a lot of coffee, almost making this a coffee stout. It is probably the dryest imperial stout I have had, so dry that it is hard to drink a lot of it. Fairly thick.

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